Cavalier Distributing reports today (Dec. 30) that it will start distributing Boulevard Brewing Co. around Ohio the week of Jan. 12. The Kansas City, Mo.-based brewer announced earlier this month that it was moving into the Buckeye State.

Boulevard -- part of Duvel Moortgat USA, which is the eighth-largest craft brewer in the U.S. -- offers year-round brands such as Pop-Up I.P.A., 80-Acre Hoppy Wheat Beer and Unfiltered Wheat Beer.

"Cavalier is proud to represent some of the finest breweries from across Ohio, the United States and the world," Cavalier President George Fisher said in a prepared statement. "With Boulevard's commitment to quality, heritage and passion for brewing, they will fit right in. We are excited to be Boulevard's partner and bring their array of fresh, flavorful beers to Ohio."

-- Queen City Fresh reports that the head brewer and assistant brewer at Moerlein Lager House are leaving. There's no mention of why or where they are going. To read the full report, click here.

-- The World of Beer has shut down in Lakewood. “It is with regret that we announce the World of Beer – Lakewood has closed," the company said on its Facebook page. "We would like to thank our wonderful staff, customers, brewery partners, and suppliers for their support and some great memories.”

It’s the end of the calendar year. And you know what that means — lists. So here’s my list of the top 11 Ohio beer stories for 2014, as voted on and ranked by me:

1. Growing, growing, growing

There appears to be no slowing down when it comes to breweries opening in Ohio. At least 25 breweries launched operations in 2014. The state welcomed, among them, Lucky Star in Miamisburg, Platform in Cleveland, Old Firehouse in Williamsburg, Phoenix in Mansfield, Butcher and the Brewer in Cleveland, Warped Wing in Dayton and Land-Grant in Columbus. In other words, the growth is spread out all over the state. Proving that Ohio is still viewed nationally as a hot spot for beer, even Hofbrauhaus opened brewpubs in Cleveland and Columbus. Ohio is now one of 13 states with more than 100 breweries.

Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. has hired a Cincinnati native and craft beer industry veteran as vice president of brewing. Eric C. Baumann, who serves as director of fermentation and quality control for Oskar Blues Brewery, will oversee operations at both the Moerlein Lager House and the Christian Moerlein production brewery in Over-the-Rhine, the brewery announced this week.

“I am excited about everything Christian Moerlein has brought to the city of Cincinnati as well as its continued focus and commitment to pushing craft brewing to the next level,” Baumann said in a prepared statement.

At Oskar Blues, Baumann helped build and oversaw production of the brewery's new operation in Brevard, N.C. He previously worked at Uinta Brewing Co. in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Grand Teton Brewing in Victor, Idaho.

-- Readers of Columbus Underground have named Seventh Son Brewing Co. as the "Best Local Brewery of 2014" for the second year in a row. Columbus Brewing Co. was second and North High was third. To see the full list, click here.

-- The Brew Professor provides a peek at the new labels from Rivertown Brewing Co. "The new look features a simplified approach with bold names and colors to help it standout on shelves and in coolers," Mike Stuart writes. "It has a decidedly art deco feel and is a complete juxtaposition from the current look." To view the labels, click here.

Willoughby Brewing Co. is looking to expand. Brewmaster Rick Seibt said the brewpub -- best known for its award-winning Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter -- may add a 10,000-square-foot expansion onto the existing brewery in downtown Willoughby, upgrade to a 30-barrel brewing system and offer bottles.

"We'd be crazy not to," Seibt said. "Ohio is still underserved and there's still room for local beer. We have to move fast on it. The window is continuing to close."

He said the city of Willoughby and Lake County are encouraging the brewpub to expand at its current site instead of moving elsewhere.

It’s time to welcome another nanobrewery and tasting room to Akron. The Brickoven Brewpub, which serves hand-crafted pizzas, has received its brewing license.

The first two Brickoven beers — a cream ale and India pale ale — should be ready for release around New Year’s Day. A Belgian-style wit and oatmeal stout will follow.

"It is the single most exciting and terrifying experience at the same time," said brewer Joshua Bringman, 40, who launched the business with his wife Nicole, 39. "It’s what I’ve wanted to do for almost a decade."

”We started talking with Rivertown this summer about brewing a special beer to celebrate our trip to Memphis, working with them to develop an interesting brew that our fans -- and craft beer fans -- will love,” Shambles bassist Brother James said in a news release. “After much discussion, we all agreed that this recipe captures the band’s unique sound and spirit in liquid form.”

-- Columbus Business First reports on the new Temperance Row Brewing Co., which features Scott Francis as head brewer. "Francis knows a thing or two about starting a brewery, having been there at the birth of both Columbus Brewing Co. and Barley's Brewing Co. not to mention several private operations and decades of general mentoring of homebrewers and aspiring brewers alike," author Dan Eaton writes. To read the full story, click here.

The Big Tap In, a popular beer festival held for the last five years in Boardman, isn't happening next year. Organizers Sandy and Phill Reda made the announcement this week on Facebook.

They thanked fans and asked them to continue supporting the nonprofit Making Kids Count, which benefited from the event. The message offered no explanation for the move, but in a separate email Phill Reda said they lost their venue.

"We are still very much passionate about the craft beer industry," the Redas, who also run the Magic Tree Pub & Eatery and Vintage Estate Wine and Beer, said in the Facebook post. "We plan to bring other exciting craft beer centric events to the Mahoning Valley."

Award-winning brewer and owner Fred Karm has started to brew five-gallon batches of IPAs for release on draft exclusively at the Akron brewery’s tasting room.

The beers -- to be sold under the name Teeny Tiny Test Batch I.P.A. -- are an experiment. The goal, Karm said, is to have customers try the small-batch brews and provide feedback as he creates some new IPAs to bottle.

Brick and Barrel, a new brewery and tasting room in Cleveland, is set to open its doors at 4 p.m. Wednesday. (Dec. 17)

The brewery couldn't be reached for comment, but posted this message on its Facebook page: "Hey All, As we prep for Wednesday Dec. 17th taproom opening - please keep in mind, we're just a kindly taproom, not a full service restaurant. Had a lot of questions about our food selection - just nuts/chips and knock-your-socks off craft ales. Cheers all! Look forward to seeing you soon."

You can watch a Cleveland.com video about the brewery by clicking here.

The Daily Growler in Upper Arlington will celebrate its second anniversary Wednesday (Dec. 17) with a Christmas beer party.

"It's hard to believe two years ago The Daily Growler didn't exist (and Columbus didn't have any growler shops)," so-called growler czar John Blakely said in an email. "It has been a fantastic first two years for us so we're celebrating the only way we know how, with great beer at great prices!"

The party will feature hourly tappings and drink deals and at least eight Christmas beers on tap. Here's the rundown:

The brewery has tripled its footprint by taking over the Black Pig restaurant space next door. (The Black Pig moved down the street.)

Head brewer Andy Tveekrem jokingly called it "Mega Nano" during a recent tour, adding that Nano Brew now has a better kitchen. He also said Nano Brew also may upgrade to a 2.5-barrel brewing system, still a nano size but considerably larger than the 20-gallon system in operation now.

Great Lakes Brewing Co. has released the names of the four beers — including two new ones — to be included in its first-ever Spring Variety Pack. The 12-pack, scheduled to be released in April, will feature:

• Truth, Justice and the American Ale, a 4.8 percent alcohol by volume session IPA. It previously has been available at the brewpub on draft.

Great Lakes Brewing Co. hopes to release its pumpkin beer in 22-ounce bottles next year and make the brew exclusively with pumpkins it grows. Pumpkin Ale has been available on draft only at the Cleveland brewpub for years.

But the brewery believes it has found a local oven big enough to bake all the pumpkins needed to ramp up production for distribution. Great Lakes also would like to grow 100 percent of the pumpkins. The brewery has farms in Ohio City and Bath Township.

"This is not going to be the puree out of a can," co-founder Pat Conway said. "It's going to be the real deal and I think that contributes to the success of it."

Eudora Brewing Co. has teamed up with Wood Burl Coffee Roasters for its next bottle release. The Dayton brewery will release 22-ounce bottles of Thunderball Stout infused with cold-brewed coffee starting at 5 p.m. Dec. 20.

The oatmeal stout -- which is 7 percent alcohol by volume with about 35 IBUs -- has been released before on draft in small batches, but this is the first time that Eudora is bottling it, brewer and owner Neil Chabut said in an email.

"We're selling it in 22-ounce bottles with a cool limited-release glass coffee mug with the Eudora and Coffee Thunderball logos," he said.

Boulevard Brewing Co. made official today (Dec. 12) what had been leaked in October: the Kansas City, Mo., brewery is moving into Ohio.

Boulevard, which had been acquired by Duvel Moortgat last year, announced that it will be available in the Buckeye State on draft and in bottles starting in January.

“Ohio is a great beer market,” Steve Mills, Boulevard’s vice president of sales, said in a news release. “With the ongoing expansion of our brewery, it’s time for us to get off the sidelines and into the game. We’re excited to partner with Cavalier Distributing to bring more variety and excitement to Ohio craft beer lovers.”

Skip the nightcap. That's the advice from researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, who found in a new study that alcohol interferes with sleep homeostatis.

In plain terms, alcohol ruins your sleep.

“Based on our results, it’s clear that alcohol should not be used as a sleep aid,” Dr. Pradeep Sahota, chair of the MU School of Medicine’s Department of Neurology and an author of the study, said in a prepared statement. “Alcohol disrupts sleep and the quality of sleep is diminished. Additionally, alcohol is a diuretic, which increases your need to go the bathroom and causes you to wake up earlier in the morning.”

Sideswipe Brewing Co. is looking to expand and relocate. The Columbus brewery, known for its 22-ounce bottles and artsy labels, is “kind of maxed out at the moment,” owner and brewer Craig O’Herron said.

Sideswipe currently uses a 2.5-barrel Pyscho Brew system. O’Herron wants to upgrade to a 15- or 20-barrel system and time that purchase with a move to a bigger location, which will provide more room for the larger brewhouse and a bigger tasting room.

The brewery and taproom are now in a crowded 1,500-square-foot space in an industrial park on Scioto Harper Drive, a few miles west of downtown.

“We are looking forward to what promises to be the most exciting, thoughtful, well-crafted Cincinnati Beer Week to date," Beer Week President Lindsey Bonadonna-Roeper said in a news release issued Tuesday.

"Our goal this year is to increase awareness of this incredible celebration of well-crafted beer, to really engage our community, and to show the region what a vibrant beer community Cincinnati has become home to," she added.

The craft beer industry kicked butt in 2014. The Brewers Association, the Boulder, Colo.-based trade group, put out a news release Tuesday (Dec. 9) wrapping up the year that was and pointing out some major highlights.

Here's a rundown:

-- As of November, there were 3,200 brewers in the United States and the number of brewery licenses hit the highest ever, topping 4,500 in the first sixth months of the year. Thirteen states -- including Ohio -- now have more than 100 breweries.

Organizers have teamed up with the U.S. Marine Corp' Toys for Tots program. There is no fee to participate but people are asked to bring a new unwrapped toy that will be distributed to local children over the holidays.

“This is a fun way to support a great cause and enjoy some fine beer, too,” Wiedemann’s Jon Newberry said in a prepared statement. “We’re honored to be joining with the Marine Corps to help make it a great Christmas for lots of great kids. And we’ll have loads of fun at all these great drinking spots in Newport, the hottest spot for nightlife along the river.”

-- Cleveland.com reports on efforts to restore a statue of King Gambrinus in the Ohio City neighborhood. King Gambrinus is the unofficial patron saint of brewing. To read the full story, click here.

-- Drink Up Columbus reports that the facade outside Land-Grant Brewing Co. was vandalized by paint over the weekend. The brewery has decided to sell T-shirts with the paint splatters to raise money for local nonprofits. To read the full story, click here.

MadTree Brewing Co. is officially launching in the Columbus market this week. The Cincinnati brewery has been available on draft at select places in central Ohio, but cans of Gnarly Brown, Happy Amber, PsycHOPathy and Lift are now showing up, the brewery says.

"When we started and were figuring out what our goals were, we said we want to be one of the most respected brewers in the region, if not the most respected. So what's regional? We wanted to expand into the Tri-State," co-founder Kenny McNutt told the Cincinnati Business Courier.

The business publication reported on the brewery's expansion plans. To read the full story in the Business Courier, click here.

Millersburg Brewing Co. has bottled its first barrel-aged beer. Bourbon Barrel Aged Doc’s Scotch Ale will be released in 750ml bottles starting Dec. 15. It also will be available on draft for a limited time.

“Doc’s is roasty, rich and very smooth before aging," brewmaster Marty Lindon said in a prepared statement. "Doc’s has been aging in 53-gallon Jack Daniel's and Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels for the past 10 months. The barrels had a big influence on this big beer, imparting hints of oak, vanilla and bourbon. This is definitely a sit by the fire sipping beer."

The beer is 10.5 percent alcohol by volume. The brewery noted that Doc’s can be aged for months or even years.

-- The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences is offering free monthly tours of its hops fields in Wooster and Piketon. "Because of the high demand for information on how to get started growing hops we decided to offer a tour once a month to meet that demand,” Charissa McGlothin says. To read the full report, click here.

-- Cleveland.com reports on the illegal and underground hobby of trading beer through UPS and FedEx. "You don't want to be shipping a $50 beer to someone you've never talked to before," one trader says. To read the full story, click here.

Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery in Athens will celebrate its ninth anniversary this weekend (Dec. 5 and 6) and the “Anniversary Extravaganza” will go forward as planned despite a fire that ravaged the street earlier this month and damaged the Public House.

Brewer Brad Clark reported on the brewery’s blog that power has been restored to the Public House and the water has been turned back on. Even though the Public House kitchen remains closed, Jackie O’s has set up a small food operation on the brewery side and is seeking approval from the city for food trucks to be there for the anniversary party.

As usual, Clark has assembled an impressive list of Jackie O’s draft beers. There will be at least 46 available for the two-day celebration. To check out the full list, click here.

The Cincinnati brewery is holding special release parties starting at 11 a.m. Sunday (Dec. 7) at the Moerlein Lager House and its brewery taproom on Moore Street in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. A portion of the sales will benefit the tigers at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

The beer -- which is 8.9 percent alcohol and a hefty 126 IBUs -- will be released in six-packs and on draft in the Columbus, Dayton, Columbus, Lexington and Louisville markets on Monday. (Dec. 8) The official launch party is from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at The Eagle OTR in Cincinnati when the brewery will hand out free Christian Moerlein snifters while supplies last.

The Cleveland brewery — the largest and oldest Ohio-based craft operation in the state — said the new logo and illustrations on its packaging will debut in May starting with its five year-round brands: Dortmunder Gold Lager, Eliot Ness Amber Lager, Burning River Pale Ale, Commodore Perry IPA and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.

“We want this refresh of the brand to be a rediscovery for our loyal fans as well as a way to tell the Great Lakes story to new customers,” co-owner Pat Conway said Wednesday in a news release. “Each of our brands tells a unique story from the Great Lakes region, and revealing those stories through these high quality illustrations will make our packaging as great as the beer inside.”

The Crest will offer five different courses for people to choose from with the beer included in the cost of the course. If folks can't decide on a course, they can purchase a flight of the beers with a scaled down version of each entree for $35.

Rivertown Brewing Co. will host a fundraiser and silent auction to benefit the family of Bloatarian Brewing League member and Samuel Adams employee Kevin Spatz, who passed away unexpectedly Oct. 22 at the age of 47.

The event, which starts at 4 p.m. Dec. 17, will raise money for an educational trust for Mr. Spatz’s two children: Philip, a college sophomore, and Elizabeth, a high school junior.

"Many of us in the brewing community have very strong connections with Kevin and his family," BBL club member and Rivertown worker Roxanne Westendorf said in an email. "While our friendships started with brewing, they became much stronger through the years. The benefit is not just about helping a fellow brewer, but is part of the bond that many of us developed with Kevin and his family through the years."